Device for hoisting safes from sunken vessels.



j UNITED sTATEs TATENT OFFICE..

HENRY Lo'rz, or P novIDENoE, RHODE ISLAND,I AssIeNon To 'r1-1E Lorarno'rnc'ron.

AND sALvAeE COMPANY, or raovInENeE,.nHonE 1sLAND, A CORPORATION or fRHODE ISLAND.

DEVICE FOB HOISTING SAFES FRCM SUNKEN VESSELS. Y

Specication of Letters Jiatent.V

vApplication..tiled December 23, 1916. Seri-a1 N o. 138,651.

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY LoTz, a sub-V jectof the Czar oLRussia, residing at Providence, in the county ofProvidence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements -in Devices foi' Hoisting Safes from SunkenVesselsyand I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact descri tion of the invention, such as willenableotiiers skilled in the art -io which it appertiiins to make and use thesame.

The invention relates to a device for hoistl ing safes from sunkenvessels.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, practicaland ellicient device adapted to enable a salvage line to be readilyconnected t0 the safe of a sunken vessel for the hoisting of thesafefrom the vvessel.

novel combination of parts hereinafter fiilly described, illustrated intheacdcmpaying drawing and pointed outin the claims here hat i'atoappendedg-it being understood `,t

-riousfchanges in 4the ,form, proportion, size `and minor details ofconstruction', within the scope of the-claims, may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit or sacricing any of the advantages ofthe inven; tion. y x

i In the drawing; v Figureflisa side elevation of a safe-hoist,- deviceconstructed'. in.v accordance with this .invention-"fand illustratingthe manner of hoisting a safe from a sunken vesse1.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side' elevation illus- `trating the construction,of the coupling devvice and showing the normal arrangement of the same.-Y

Figi 3 isa central vertical sectlonal view of the same, the coupling:member being shownl at "'e',levii,tion i Fig. 4 is a detail view of theweighted exible loo or ring for engaging fthe colupling mem r. v

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all theligures of the drawing. .v

ln the :iccoinpanyii'ig drawing in which is illustrated the preferredembodiment of the invention, the safehoistirig device comprises in itsconstruction :i coupling member 1 consisting of a straight body portionprovided at its lower end With a substantially segmental head 2 andihaving an f approximately semi-circular or segmental ii'pper terininiilportion 3 recessed at the lower edges at opposite sides o'l the stem orbody portion to form recesses 4 and downwardly extending oppositeengaging bills or fiukes 5, which are adapted to`,be engaged by a loop"or ring 6 of a salvage line 7. The lower segmental head 2 whichprojects froin o positc sidesof the stemor body portion to orm iippcrshoulders 8 is provided with an eye or opening 9 for the reception ofthe upper link of a short chain 10, which has its lower PatentedAngl-1,1917. l

end linked into a loop 11 of a safe 12. The

safe 12 which maybe of any size or structure is deslgned to be arrangedin a specially provided compartmentl 13 of a vessel 14. The compartment13, which is designed to be ai-riingednt the top of the vessel and to beclear of rigging or anything which might interfere with the removal ofthe safe 12, canb'e located in` any such convenientposition'andtheoompartment is provided at the top withihinged -door's-15 `adapted to be,

opened automatically b vthe' lifting of the safe and maintained normallyin a closed positionbyV the devicefor the removal o f the safe. Accesstothe safe is designed to be had from the interior of the cabin orsuperstructurecontaining the Vsaid compartment'13 and the top hingedsections or doors 15 are maintained securely in a closed position bymeansof a baror pin=16 extending -throughan opening 17 of the .couplingmember and. arranged 1n recesses 18 of blocks 19 mountedon the hinged`si'eetions 1.5 at the `free edges thereof asjclearlyshown in "3 of thedrawing. :The pm 16, which extends re'm opposite, sof-:ithecouplingmember, may bc tothe samefin any suitable sired manner.

i' y ofa connected at its upper 'or outer manner and b 'n1'- 4ceases of'the b ocks 19 the doors or closures of the compartment or portionthereof above the safe are securely maintained ina closedosition. 'Theloop into whlch the cham 1s inked may be secured to the safe 1n any de-The couplin is provided at the upper enlarge end with an upwardl tapered.guide consistingof inclined ro s 2O and a central vertical rod 21 andcar ing a ring or eye 22 at the' apex for the attac y position withrelation tothe safe compartloop 6, which is designed to be constructedofhemp or other suitable material wrappedvadapted toI lengthen or elo mentso that in event of the ls-nking of the vessel 14 the buoy will floatoff with the ide line and indicate vthe place of the sunken-vessel.

When it is desired to remove the safe-from the sunkenvessel thebuoy istaken up by a wrecking or salvage ship 26 and the salvage `lines 7 withthe ilexible weighted loop or ring`6 are lowered to the coupling member,,the guide -li-ne 2li/being passed through the member and is engagedwith one of the hooks or projections 5 thereof'by drawin it upward.slightly .when the weighted oo`p or ring has reached the top of thecompartment 13.` The loop or ring 6 will then be drawn into 'one' 'ofthe recesses 4 and will be confinedtherein by a pivoted latch 27 hingedat 28 ,and adapted to swing` ups vwar'dlv from'- a horizontal. position.Any

suitabe means may be employed for limiting the downward swing of thelatch. In theconstruction illustratedin the accompanying drawing theheels 29 of the latches arearranged to engage the bills or linkes 5,bu't any other suitable. construction may of course be employed. Theflexible ring or with lead to securelthe desired weight, is ate toenable a to readily pass over it ecome necessary. This second loop orrin should the same will enable one or more -salvage lines to beconnected with the coupling member and the taperedguiding device formedbythe' inclined rods 20 will cause theloo -or rin to engage with one' orthe' other o the sai bills orA engaging portions 5. The salvagel orwrecking ship 26 is'designedto be'pro vided with asuitable crane orhoisting d'e` vice 30 for lifting the safefrom the sunken executed bline.V loop or ring 6, which'is guided to the coupling xpsepee vessel tothe surface and placing itv aboard the vessel'26. The hinged doors orclosures 15 are adapted to open automatically when the safe l12 1slitedfrom the compartment 13.

.Various forms of buoyant marking de'- vices or buoys 'may beemployedbut 1t 1s and described in a companion application me of evendate herewith and partially i ustrated in the accompanying drawin Thehinged doors are maintained closed by the lateral projections of thecoupling member and they support the coupling member in a projectingposition to enable the Vpreferable to use themarking device shown loopor ring of the salvage lines to be readily connected with the engagingportions of the said coupling member.

What is claimed is: 1

1. In a device for hoisting safes from sunken vessels, the combinationwith a vessel provided with a compartment open -at the top and providedthereat with means for covering or closing the compartment, said meansbeing adapted to open outwardly, and a safe located wlthin the saidcompartment, of a coupling member extending from the compartment andconnected with the safe, a guide line adapted to-be coiled on the vesseland connected at one end with the said coupling device, and a buoyantmarking device connected with 2. In va device for hoisti'ng safes fromsunken vessels, the combination with a vessel provided with acompartment and having hinged doorsarranged at`the top of thecompartment and opening outwardly, and a safe arranged within thecompartmentbelow the said doors, of a couplin member projectingexteriorly of the said oors and having engaging. means, means connectingthe coupling member with the safe, a guide line attached to the.coupling member and extending therefrom for'guiding a salvage line tothe engaging portions of the coupling member, and ambuoy connected withthe guide line. 3. In a'device ofjthe safe located within the saidcompartment,

the other endvof the guide les class-described, the combination with a'vessel havinga comparisment .provided at the top with doors, and a of acouplingmember extending'bet'ween the doors and maintained by the saiddoors in a projecting position, means for connecting .the coullingmember with the safe, means carried y the coupling member and resti uponthe doorsI for holding the latter close and also for supportin the couling-device, -a-guide line connecte with ti l e coupling devlce', and a`buoyant marking device se# cured tothe line.V i

4. A device ofthe classldescribed including a coupling member 'providedat the 'top with depending bills or lilukes andhaving an upwardlyrojectingrtapering guide conthe recesses of the said bloc means forsisting of inc ined rods connected with and connecting the lower end oft e coupling extending upwardly from the v0111251' pormember with thesafe, said coupling mem-A tions of the dukes, a.A guide line attached to`ber being provided at the top with an en- 5 the said guide, and a' buoy*secured to the gaging portion and a line connected lwiththe 20 line. Yf coupling member for guiding the loop or 5. In a device of the classdescribed, the l ring ofV a salvage line to theengaging por combinationwith. vessel having acomtion ofth'eccou'pling member. 1

l partment provided at 'the top with hinged In testimon whereof I affixmy signature t 10 doors, .said doors being provided at their in presenceo two witnesses..

.meeting edges with bl ks having opposite l recesses, anda safe locatedwithin the com- HENRYLOTZ' psrtment, of a. coupling member extendinWitnesses: between the meeting edges of the doors-an H M. L Lmwl,

1-5 provided with-lateral projections 1n I Bumm Si. Joins.

